diff --git a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
index 82eb13d1d..89b181748 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Messaging/Server/MsgStore/Journal.hs
@@ -578,20 +578,13 @@ instance MsgStoreClass (JournalMsgStore s) where
       runFast MsgQueueState {writeState = ws, readState = rs, size}
         | size > 0 =
             readTVarIO (handles q) >>= \case
-              Just (MsgQueueHandles _ rh wh_) -> case wh_ of
-                Just wh -> (++) <$> getAllMsgs rh (bytePos rs) (byteCount rs - bytePos rs) <*> getAllMsgs wh 0 (bytePos ws)
-                Nothing -> getAllMsgs rh (bytePos rs) (bytePos ws - bytePos rs)
+              Just (MsgQueueHandles _ rh wh_) -> do
+                msgs <- getJournalRange rh (bytePos rs) (byteCount rs)
+                case wh_ of
+                  Just wh -> (msgs ++) <$> getJournalRange wh 0 (bytePos ws)
+                  Nothing -> pure msgs
               Nothing -> pure []
         | otherwise = pure []
-      getAllMsgs h pos sz
-        | sz > 0 = do
-            IO.hSeek h AbsoluteSeek $ fromIntegral pos
-            parseMsgs =<< B.hGet h (fromIntegral sz)
-        | otherwise = pure []
-      parseMsgs s = do
-        let (errs, msgs) = partitionEithers $ map strDecode $ B.lines s
-        unless (null errs) $ putStrLn $ "Error reading " <> show (length errs) <> " messages from " <> B.unpack (strEncode $ recipientId' q')
-        pure msgs
 
   writeMsg :: JournalMsgStore s -> JournalQueue s -> Bool -> Message -> ExceptT ErrorType IO (Maybe (Message, Bool))
   writeMsg ms q' logState msg = isolateQueue q' "writeMsg" $ do
@@ -1042,26 +1035,29 @@ closeOnException h a = a `E.onException` hClose h
 getJournalQueueMessages :: JournalMsgStore s -> JournalQueue s -> IO [Message]
 getJournalQueueMessages ms q =
   readQueueState ms (msgQueueStatePath dir rId) >>= \case
-    (Just MsgQueueState {readState = rs, writeState = ws, size}, _)
-      | size == 0 -> pure []
-      | otherwise -> do
-          msgs <- getMsgs rs (bytePos rs) (byteCount rs - bytePos rs)
-          if journalId rs == journalId ws
-            then pure msgs
-            else (msgs ++) <$> getMsgs ws (0 :: Int64) (bytePos ws)
+    (Just MsgQueueState {readState = rs, writeState = ws, size}, _) | size > 0 -> do
+      msgs <- getMsgs (journalId rs) (bytePos rs) (byteCount rs)
+      if journalId rs == journalId ws
+        then pure msgs
+        else (msgs ++) <$> getMsgs (journalId ws) 0 (bytePos ws)
     _ -> pure []
   where
     rId = recipientId' q
     dir = msgQueueDirectory ms rId
-    getMsgs :: JournalState t -> Int64 -> Int64 -> IO [Message]
-    getMsgs js pos sz
-      | sz > 0 = IO.withFile f ReadWriteMode $ \h' -> do
-          IO.hSeek h' AbsoluteSeek $ fromIntegral pos
-          parseMsgs =<< B.hGet h' (fromIntegral sz)
-      | otherwise = pure []
-      where
-        f = journalFilePath dir $ journalId js
-        parseMsgs s = do
-          let (errs, msgs) = partitionEithers $ map (strDecode @Message) $ B.lines s
-          unless (null errs) $ putStrLn $ "Error reading " <> show (length errs) <> " messages from " <> f
-          pure msgs
+    getMsgs jId from to =
+      IO.withFile (journalFilePath dir jId) ReadWriteMode $ \h' ->
+        getJournalRange h' from to
+
+getJournalRange :: Handle -> Int64 -> Int64 -> IO [Message]
+getJournalRange h from to
+  | to > from = do
+      IO.hSeek h AbsoluteSeek $ fromIntegral from
+      parseMsgs =<< B.hGet h (fromIntegral $ to - from)
+  | otherwise = pure []
+  where
+    parseMsgs s = do
+      let (errs, msgs) = partitionEithers $ map strDecode $ B.lines s
+      unless (null errs) $ do
+        f <- IO.hShow h
+        putStrLn $ "Error reading " <> show (length errs) <> " messages from " <> f
+      pure msgs